As she was on her way to the supermarket one Sunday morning in 2014, Chief Mary Wagner received a call from a retired lieutenant colonel.
“He said, ‘I hear there’s a Junior ROTC program they want to open in Poughkeepsie. Do you want to do Junior ROTC with me?’” she recalled. “I said, ‘OK, two questions: Where’s Poughkeepsie and what’s Junior ROTC?’”
Ten years later, Wagner found herself sitting at a table alongside Master Sgt. Malachi Carmichael watching a slideshow of photos taken over her decade building a program that has positively changed the lives of many Poughkeepsie students.
Just before school break to celebrate the holidays, the Poughkeepsie High School Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, or AFJROTC, celebrated the anniversary of the program’s official launch in December 2014.
The party came as a surprise to the two longtime instructors, who were lured into the school’s cafeteria under false pretenses.
“We were told we were taking a leadership picture,” Wagner said. “We had no idea.”
The instructors were given a keepsake trophy from the cadets thanking them for their “commitment and service” to the program, as well as certificates of recognition, including from state Sen. Rob Rolison. Numerous cadets and staff members spoke at the ceremony, including Principal Dr. Phee Simpson.
“I’ve seen the program grow over the years, and you guys have created this. So, I just want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, because this was a dream of mine to have it here, and now you have brought it to fruition, and it’s beautiful,” Simpson said. “Thank you for what you do for our students and what you do for our community as a whole.”
Wagner originated the program, with Carmichael joining her soon after. Ten years ago, shortly after deciding to join that retired lieutenant colonel in starting the project, she received a call letting her know he wouldn’t be able to help due to health reasons.
“I said to my wife, ‘I don’t know what I got myself into, but I guess I’m doing it,’” Wagner said with a laugh. “Really, that’s how it started. It wasn’t like I was hunting down a Junior ROTC job or anything. Then, one thing led to another, and it’s been 10 years of absolutely amazing kids.”
Dozens of cadets take part each year, learning lessons in leadership and responsibility while moving up in ranks. The program stresses community service projects, like recent events cleaning up streets and helping to serve food at the Family Partnership Center. Their members are also a constant presence serving as the color guard for district and city events.
Many of the students laud the camaraderie offered by the program and a family-like atmosphere.
“I tell the parents,” Wagner said, “our job is to help you help your students, your children, become productive members of society. That’s how I look at it. That’s really what our job is. It’s not joining the military. It’s not a recruiting program. It’s about leadership.”
Cadet Lt. Col. Salome Vergara said she and many others consider Wagner to be family.
“She’s always there, trying to make sure we’re doing well with our classes, with our program, with our life, in general,” the senior said.
Vergara was a ringleader for pulling off the party. When the cadets asked Wagner one day to walk down memory lane and show them photos of the program through the years, it was Vergara who managed to secretly send copies to herself for use in the slideshow. Capt. Pixie Brown assisted and wrangled more photos through by looking through yearbooks and talking with other staff members.
“Chief and Master Sergeant have done a lot for us and we’re here to do as much as we can to honor and give back to what they’ve given to us,” Brown, a third-year member, said.
“I feel like I’ve gotten so much more than I actually expected,” Brown said of AFJROTC. “I feel like they helped me break out of my shell. I feel like I’ve grown as a person. They already helped me get more responsible and time management. I’ve made a lot of new friends; it’s like a big family.”
The program evolves each year with each new class of students who decide to join. But, it’s also changing with the future in mind, with more of a focus on robotics, drones and aviation, Wagner said. They’re soon starting An Aviation Club, which is open to the whole school, not just members of the AFJROTC.
As she walked into the surprise party, Wagner fought back tears. “I’m glad they didn’t ask me to get up there and say anything, she said. Though, it’s not unusual for her to be emotional about her club.
“Every military ball that we have, I’m crying. Because it’s the end of the seniors and all that,” she said. “I guess it’s how parents feel when their kids go to college and whatever. It’s amazing.”
